HER SAFE PLACE

Back to India

Rocky's POV

I sat on the bed, my phone pressed to my ear, discussing arrangements with my secretary and canceling my meeting. My mind was preoccupied with the tasks at hand, but all that changed when the washroom door creaked open. My gaze immediately snapped to her.

Shivangi stepped out, wearing my oversized t-shirt and trousers, her hair still damp from the shower. I couldn’t help but smile at how effortlessly beautiful she looked. I ended the call, deciding nothing else mattered more than this moment. I spread my arms wide, eager to pull her into my embrace.

"Come here," I said with a grin.

But she wasn’t having it. She pushed my arms away and moved to the other side of the bed, muttering, "Go to your Riya, Sonia, Esha, Tina."

I raised an eyebrow, amused by her sudden mood shift. "It was Tanya, not Tina."

She shot me a glare and smacked me with the pillow. I chuckled, not even slightly phased. "I’d rather prefer your pillow than this."

She looked at me in disbelief. "Shameless." She then turned her back on me and sighed, clearly not in the mood to entertain my teasing. "Turn off the light."

I did as she asked, removing my shirt and preparing to lie down next to her. I moved closer, wrapping my arm around her waist and resting my head on her shoulder.

She stiffened, trying to pull my hand away, but I didn’t budge. She attempted a few more times, but after realizing I wasn’t moving, she finally sighed and stopped trying.

I couldn’t help but speak up. "I love you. I’m sorry, I was just teasing you. You know, you look cute when you're jealous and angry."

She turned her head slightly, glaring at me, but I just smiled back.

I buried my face in her neck, my voice low and teasing. "Waise mat dekho, Darr lagta hai." (Don’t look at me like that, I feel scared.)

(A/n: MARD SIRF APNI PASANDIDA AURAT SE DARTA HAI!)

When she didn’t say anything, I realized something was off. Her silence worried me. She hadn’t responded as I expected.

I sat there for a moment, the silence thick between us, my concern growing. I had expected her to say something, to react, but she didn’t. I sat up and flicked the light on, hoping to break the tension. Still, she didn’t move, didn’t turn towards me. I could feel my heart racing in my chest as my thoughts began to spiral. Did I cross the line?

My voice came out in a whisper, barely audible, as I reached out to touch her shoulder. "Shivangi?" But she didn’t respond. She was pretending to be asleep.

I sighed deeply, my fingers running through my hair as I stood up, pacing by the bed, my mind running wild. What if I said something wrong? What if I really hurt her?

I couldn’t just let her stay like this. I dropped to my knees beside the bed, my heart pounding. I reached up, gently cupping her face, careful not to hurt her, and whispered softly, "Babydoll, I’m sorry. I was just joking. I didn’t know it would hurt you. Please, I’m sorry. I know you’re awake. Please say something."

There was a long pause, and I felt a cold sweat prickling my skin. Is she really upset with me? But then, her eyelid fluttered open slightly, and she turned her face toward me. With the slightest smirk, she mouthed, "Something."

I blinked, stunned for a second, before my brain caught up. I let out a groan, facepalming myself. This girl...

She giggled, a playful spark in her eyes. "Aree, you asked me to say 'something,' so I said... 'something.'" Her voice was light, like she was just teasing me, and all the tension that had built up in my chest evaporated in an instant.